Irish Nachos

Everybody loves a plate of nachos piled high with melty cheese and all of those irresistible toppings. Swap out the tortilla chips for crispy potatoes and everybody loves nachos evenmore. Irish Nachos are where potato skins and nachos collide and the aftermath is seriously delicious.

WHAT ARE IRISH NACHOS?

You’ll likely find them on every menu of every Irish pub within the United States, and they are often brought to the table as an appetizer. However, these Irish Nachos are perfect for entertaining at home, a quick-fix kid-friendly dinner, and also make for one heck of a movie night snack.

Irish Nachos are referred to as Irish because their main ingredient is a potato. The type of potato might vary, but most often, it is a roasted or fried Russet potato cut into a ring no more than a 1/4″ in thickness, which resembles the shape and size of a round tortilla chip.

The only thing these “nachos” really have in common with standard Mexican nachos is toppings, but not necessarily the same toppings. Irish Nachos are loaded with all the toppings you would find atop a loaded baked potato.

IRISH NACHO INGREDIENTS

Nachos are all about the toppings, and Irish Nachos are no exception. These are all the toppings you’d typically find on a loaded baked potato…and then some.

THE POTATOES

Russets are a hearty potato and great for baking, making them the perfect sturdy base for your Irish nachos. When picking out your Russets, be sure to pick out potatoes that are small and narrow, rather than large and bulky. This way when the potatoes are sliced into rings, they’ll be closer to the size of an actual nacho.

If you’re looking to bypass prepping and roasting potatoes, see the “Irish Nacho Variations” section for no-prep substitutions.

TRIPLE THE CHEESE

These Irish Nachos are extra cheesy and come equipped with three different forms of cheese. The first cheese to hit the nachos is a creamy, homemade Cheddar sauce.

This sauce is a scrumptious, savory addition and it takes Irish Nachos to a whole ‘nother level. However, you can omit it from the recipe or sub in a store-bought cheese sauce if you’re short on time.

The next cheese to grace your Irish Nachos comes in the form of cheese curds. Cheese curds are delicious little morsels with a texture like no other cheese you’ve ever bitten into. You can typically find them with the imported cheeses at your local grocery store. They’re a little bit chewy, a lot stretchy and perfectly gooey when heated.

Like the Cheddar sauce, the cheese curds areoptional, but this is one item I highly recommend you don’t miss out on.

Last, but certainly not least, good old-fashioned grated Cheddar. If you are not making the cheese sauce, use 1 1/2 cups of freshly grated Cheddar to top off your nachos.

THE BACON

Next on the list is the perfect potato companion — crispy, pan-seared bacon bits. If you don’t want to take the time to sear your own bacon, you can sub in pre-cooked bacon.

SOUR CREAM & ONION

This one is a signature potato chip flavor for a reason, folks. Sour cream-and-onion and potatoes go hand-in-hand. Green onions are the perfect addition to your Irish Nachos as they are mild but still have a nice oniony flavor to them.

No green onions? No problem. Sub in a sprinkle of fresh or dried chives. As for the sour cream, this one is completely up to you.

HOW TO MAKE IRISH NACHOS

Slice the potatoes, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with seasoning and bake 30 minutes.

Pan-sear the bacon until crispy.

Make the Cheddar cheese sauce.

Top the potatoes and return to the oven, if desired, for an additional 4-5 minutes.

HOW TO ROAST CRISPY POTATOES

The base of Irish Nachos are potatoes…it is what makes them Irish after all. Frying potatoes can be a messy job and somewhat of a pain, so for simplicities-sake, we will roast the potatoes instead.

To ensure you can easily remove the potatoes from the pan, line the pan with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil. Then, drizzle the potatoes with oil, sprinkle with seasoning, and toss to combine.

For crispy potatoes, make sure you have your potatoes spread out into one single layer, and, if possible, try to leave a little space between each potato. This will allow heat/air to circulate not only over the potatoes but around them as well, making for a crispier potato.

IRISH NACHO VARIATIONS

Love ranch? Sub out that melty cheese sauce for a drizzle of ranch dressing. You could also make them extra beefy by adding a heaping pile of corned beef across the top of the potatoes. Seasoned ground beef could also be used to add a little extra sustenance to Irish Nachos.

You could even change out the base of the nachos from roasted potato rounds to something a little less hands-on like:

Waffle Fries

Tater Tots

Kettle Chips

If using frozen waffle fries or tater tots, simply leave all aspects of this recipe the same (except for prepping and roasting the potatoes), and follow the package instructions to heat up the frozen potatoes.

This is a recipe you can have fun with, and the variations and flavor combinations are practically endless. However, if you love an extra cheesy nacho, stick to the recipe below. You will not regret it.

Preheat the oven to 425° and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.

Slice the potatoes into 1/4" thick rings and add the sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes to evenly distribute the seasoning and lay out in a single layer on the sheet pan.

Bake for 30-32 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown across the tops. While the potatoes are baking, fry the bacon and make the cheese sauce.

Add the diced bacon to a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy, 6-8 minutes. Set bacon aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.

For the cheese sauce, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a saucepan over medium heat. Allow to come to temperature and sprinkle over the flour. Whisk about 1 minute. Do not allow the flour to brown.

Begin adding the half-and-half one generous splash at a time, whisking well after each addition. Once all of the half-and-half has been added, allow the mixture to simmer 4-5 minutes, just until slightly thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of Cheddar cheese and a generous pinch of Kosher salt. Set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, drizzle with the cheese sauce, cheese curds (if using), the remaining 1/2 cup of Cheddar, and diced bacon.

If desired, return to the oven for 4-5 minutes, just until the cheese curds have melted. Top with sliced green onions and sour cream (if using), serve, and enjoy!

Reader Interactions

Comments

I love how they are called ‘Irish’ nachos! I’ve never thought of making nachos this way before but it looks so yummy, and also totally acceptable to be eaten as a meal which is so great! I’ll definitely be trying this soon!

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Hi! I’m Kelly Anthony, a food columnist, baker, home chef and stay-at-home mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. I hope you, your family and guests will cherish them as much as I do. Thank you for stopping by, and please, come back again. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

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